Saudi Arabia denies plan for Swedish-built arms plant

DUBAI - Saudi Arabia said on Saturday it had no plans to acquire an arms factory from Sweden, weeks after the Swedish defense minister was forced to resign over reports Stockholm planned to help the conservative Muslim state build such a plant.

"The Saudi Defense Ministry stressed that it has not signed any agreement with Sweden for a project of this nature in the past nor is there any project in such a field currently," the state-run Saudi Press Agency said, citing an unnamed ministry official.

Sweden's Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors resigned last month after reports about the weapons plant sparked an outcry in a country which prides itself on defending and promoting human rights around the world.

Tolgfors had weathered initial reports that said a state-run defense research agency planned to help Saudi Arabia build the plant, saying he had not known of them and that the agency had over-stepped its authority. But in the end, pressure on him became too great and he stepped down.